Thewirelessreport.com has so many questions on the Microsoft / Nortel partnership. Looks like I’m also waiting for them to come up with the solutions ASAP and it does not turn into vapourware since waiting for VISTA is already taking up a lot of my spare time…..Its like waiting paint dry for the full Vista launch !

With Microsoft and Nortel just announcing that they are going to be teaming up on a unified communications partnership, one has to wonder what Microsoft has to offer here. Can you make a phone call directly from an Outlook contact? Can you reply to an email via voice instead of an email reply?

The previous news :

Microsoft on June 26 outlined its “unified communications” strategy, which aims to seamlessly interconnect email, instant messaging, and cellular and VoIP (voice-over-IP) telephony, along with audio-, video-, and web-conferencing. Additionally, Motorola and LG-Nortel announced plans to develop fixed and mobile devices supporting the unified communications platform.

Microsoft says its unified communications strategy takes advantage of new features in Exchange Server that provide a “unified in-box experience,” along with a speech-based auto attendant that allows users to access communications from any phone.

Great news for those waiting for a 3G-ready Treo smartphone.

Working with Vodafone and Microsoft, Palm says a new 3G-ready Treo smartphone is headed to the European market before the end of the year. Palm said it will partner with Britain’s Vodafone and Microsoft to create a 3G Treo using Windows Mobile 5.0 to target European mobile e-mail users. Besides operating on Vodafone’s high-speed 3G network, the devices will provide push e-mail service using Microsoft’s Direct Push technology.

3G-ready Treo smartphone source

Another diabolical scheme from good old Microsoft to edge their way into the profitable consumer market. They announced on 30th June 2006, a new unit within its Mobile and Embedded Devices business called the Consumer Media Technology Group, to be headed by Amir Majidimehr Corporate Vice President.

Majidimehr and his team will move from the Platforms & Services unit to become part of the Microsoft Mobile and Embedded/Communications sector, which includes the Windows Mobile, Windows Embedded and Communications Sector technologies. The group also will be charged with deploying Microsoft’s digital media technologies in consumer electronics/entertainment devices.

Microsoft creates new Consumer Media Technology Group source

Don’t hold your breath.. Microsoft Windows CE 6.0 and Vista might only come out in 2007. So that gives you plenty of time to save on a Vista Premium PC and Windows CE handheld device.

Microsoft will officially launch its Windows CE 6.0 OS for embedded and mobile devices in the first half of its fiscal year 2007 (July 2006-June 2007), a move which is likely to bring Windows CE 6.0-powered handheld devices to the market early next year, according to Eddie Wu, Microsoft’s senior director of device solutions sales, Asia and worldwide ODM ecosystems.

Wu made the remark yesterday in Taipei as the software giant launched a beta version of its Windows CE 6.0 in the Taiwan market.

According to Wu, Microsoft’s Windows CE embedded system currently accounted for 30% of the world’s handheld device market, with the percentage points climbing to 50% in the PDA segment. Overall, about 10 million handheld devices (excluding GPS devices) used globally are powered by Windows Mobile 5.0, Wu added.

Microsoft Windows CE 6.0 only in 2007 source